[History of the Song Dynasty Palace] [32] [Author: Xu Muxi]

Chapter Thirty-Two: Scholar Tao Meets the Beauty Li Guoguo Fishing by the Pond
It is said that Tao Gu, hearing the woman's elegant speech, felt even more admiration for her. He disregarded his usual decorum, casting aside his dignified demeanor, and cheerfully took the woman's hand, saying, "Young lady, you must be a celestial being descended to earth! To meet you today is truly an honor beyond measure!" He then bowed repeatedly. Upon seeing Tao Gu's appearance, the woman couldn't help but cover her cherry lips and chuckle, "I've heard that Scholar Tao is a righteous man who never strays from the path. Turns out, he's just a hypocrite, so unrestrained behind people's backs." Tao Gu laughed, "I'm usually quite self-controlled, not easily swayed by beauty. But today, seeing you, young lady, I don't know why I've become so uncontrollable. I suppose we have a predestined connection from a past life.
May I ask your honorable name, where you live, and why you've come to this inn?" The woman replied, "I am the daughter of Zhang San, a postman, named A Xian, and I live behind the inn.
I've long admired your name, Scholar, and longed to meet you, but you've been busy copying books at the Imperial Academy, leaving early and returning late, so I haven't had the chance. Today, knowing you're resting here, I've come secretly to your window to admire your esteemed face. My father works here as a postman..." "It has been many years. I have been with you since childhood, living behind the inn. I have seen countless officials passing by, but none could move my heart.
Today, seeing you, sir, I don't know why, I am deeply moved and cannot bear to part with you. So, I came here tonight without my father's knowledge. Unexpectedly, when I arrived at the door, you were composing a poem. I also studied when I was young, and I was deeply moved by your poem. I could not resist and pushed open the door, interrupting your enjoyment. Please forgive my abruptness!" Tao Gu hurriedly said, "It is my pleasure to have you visit me, young lady. I have longed for this. How can you say it is abrupt?" As he spoke, he admired A Xian's appearance under the lamplight. She was truly charming and alluring. Even in simple clothes, she was all the more beautiful. Tao Gu could not resist the beauty and stepped forward to embrace her and beg for pleasure.
A-Xian feigned deep shame and said to Tao Gu, "Although I am the daughter of a post station worker, of humble origin, I have always been chaste and self-respecting. But upon meeting you, sir, I fell deeply in love and lost my self-control, shamefully giving myself to you. I hope you will understand my infatuation and not mistake me for a fleeting romance, abandoning me after my initial infatuation, leaving me with endless regret." Upon hearing this, Tao Gu quickly pointed to the lamp and swore, "Thanks to your kindness, young lady, if I forget what I have done today, I will surely suffer a terrible fate." Seeing Tao Gu swearing to the lamp, A-Xian hurriedly stopped him, saying, "As long as you don't forget what I have done today, there's no need for such a heavy oath." Tao Gu then took advantage of the situation and pulled A Xian into the tent. A Xian, half-heartedly resisting, reluctantly agreed. Tao Gu and she lay side by side, whispering sweet nothings, deeply in love and affection.
It is said that joy makes the night seem too short, while loneliness makes it seem too long. Tao Gu and A Xian spent the night in passion, unaware that dawn was breaking. Seeing that it was already light, A Xian quickly got up and said, "We were so engrossed in our pleasure that we forgot the dawn
. What if my father finds out?" Tao Gu, also fearing that they would be seen and his reputation ruined, hurriedly got up with A Xian. Holding hands, they seemed reluctant to part. A Xian whispered, "I am deeply grateful for your kindness, Scholar. Please grant me a poem to commemorate this day." When Tao Gu heard that A Xian was asking him for a poem, he readily agreed. He picked up his brush and, after finishing the poem he had written the previous night, titled "Drunkenly Falling into Despair," quickly completed it and handed it to A Xian. When A Xian took it and read it, she found it was a poem set to the tune of "Spring in the Brocade Hall," which read: "The moon shines on the gauze curtain and golden pillow, the garden's precious mirror and fragrant box. The three mountains are not beyond the vast ocean, separated only by a crystal curtain. In the stillness, the jade rabbit incense burns, the night's shadow falls on the silver toad. A Xian understands the meaning of longing, spring colors pierce her brows."
A Xian was overjoyed to receive Tao Gu's two poems and thanked him repeatedly. He took his leave, intending to depart. Tao Gu then invited A Xian to come that very night. A Xian nodded in agreement and went straight out the door, heading towards the back. Tao Gu watched A Xian until she disappeared from sight before turning back. Because he hadn't slept well the night before, and it was still early, he lay back down on the bed, closed his eyes, and thought deeply about the tender moments he had shared with A Xian the previous night. He felt exceptionally content and secretly rejoiced, thinking, "I never expected to have such a wonderful encounter in Jiangnan. This arduous journey has not been in vain. But after I finish copying the books, I must return home. A Xian and I love each other so much, how can I bear to abandon her and go back home? I will wait for her to come tonight, discuss it with her, and go to Bianjing together. Only then can we be together forever. A Xian is just the daughter of a post station worker. If she goes to Bianjing with me, she can become the scholar's concubine. She can enjoy wealth and comfort. There is no reason for me not to agree." If her parents refused, he could simply give them more gold and silver; why worry about not getting what they wanted? Tao Gu lay in bed, his mind wandering, and eventually fell into a deep sleep. When he awoke, it was already past dawn. He ordered water to be brought, and after washing and dressing, he noticed a red paper invitation on the table. He picked it up and saw it was an invitation from Li Jing to a banquet, which read, "Wait for the Emperor at noon." Knowing it was late, Tao Gu hurriedly adjusted his clothes and went to the banquet.
After paying his respects to Li Jing, Li Jing... Respectfully addressing him as Master Tao, Tao Gu explained that Master Tao had come to his country on a mission, and that due to state affairs, he had been unable to personally offer Master Tao a drink, a truly unforgivable offense. He offered this cup of wine as an apology and to allow them to freely express their innermost thoughts. Seeing Li Jing's excessive hospitality, Tao Gu could only return the courtesy with a few words of humility. Li Jing immediately ordered a banquet to be prepared, and upon hearing this, three tables of sumptuous food were neatly arranged. As the ruler, Li Jing, whose status was paramount, naturally sat in the center. One seat faced south; at the head of the table, facing east with their backs to the west, was the guest seat, where Tao Gu was seated alone; at the lower seat, facing west with their backs to the east, sat Song Qiqiu, Feng Yanji, Xu Xuan, and Han Xizai, in order. Tao Gu bowed to Li Jing to thank him for the seat and then joined him.
After several rounds of drinks, Li Jing ordered that singing girls be brought to serve wine. Upon receiving the order, a group of beautiful women in flowing robes and silk skirts, holding musical instruments, lined the steps, some singing, others playing music. The sounds of metal and stone instruments, along with the melodious voices of beautiful women, filled the air. Tao Gu, seeing Li Jing order the singers to serve wine, immediately sat up straight and adopted his usual unapproachable manner. Li Jing and his ministers, seeing this, couldn't help but chuckle inwardly, ignoring him and simply instructing the eunuchs to offer wine from large cups. After the singers finished their song and the music stopped, Li Jing suddenly smiled at Tao Gu and said, "Sir, you are a guest of the Heavenly Court, and the songs of our country are utterly unpalatable. I have recently acquired a beautiful woman; though her looks are not exceptional, she has been favored and pampered by a nobleman of the Heavenly Court, who even composed two poems for her. I have heard her sing them before; they are truly the work of a talented man. With such a beautiful woman by her side, her melodious voice is exceptionally captivating. Now, let her come and sing for you, so that you may enjoy your drink." "After listening to Li Jing's words, Tao Gu still didn't understand his intention and was about to decline. Unexpectedly, Li Jing, without further ado, ordered a palace attendant to summon the singing girl Qin Ruolan to offer Tao Gu wine. In a short while, a beautiful woman in palace attire with a high bun and an ethereal demeanor gracefully approached. Tao Gu felt this woman looked familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before, so he carefully observed her. Suddenly, he was startled and inwardly groaned, becoming extremely uneasy and at a loss for what to do.
Why then was Tao Gu so alarmed upon seeing this singing girl?" Upon closer inspection, Tao Gu realized that this courtesan, Qin Ruolan, was none other than A Xian, the woman who had claimed to be the daughter of Zhang San, a postman, and had spent the night with him at the inn the previous day. Tao Gu initially found the courtesan strangely familiar and was suspicious. But as he approached the steps and observed her closely, he realized she was indeed A Xian. However, while she had worn tattered clothes last night, she was now adorned in fine silks, making her even more alluring. Tao Gu then realized he had fallen for the Southern Tang court's honey trap. He thought, "They must hate me for refusing to conform to the world and follow the customs, so they've used this vicious scheme to torment me. Now they've summoned her to serve wine; they're surely going to humiliate me at the banquet. If they announce what happened last night in front of everyone, my reputation will be completely ruined. How will I ever face anyone then?" "Thinking to himself, he was extremely anxious. His face was flushed, and he sat in the seat, sweat dripping down his forehead in the size of soybeans."
While Tao Gu was in a panic, the courtesan Qin Ruolan gracefully walked to Li Jing's seat, bowed to the king, and stood aside to await his decree. Upon seeing Qin Ruolan, Li Jing, with a beaming smile, pointed to Tao Gu and said to her, "This Scholar Tao is a minister of the Celestial Dynasty. He came to our country to copy books by imperial decree. He is a talented scholar with a mind full of brilliance and profound knowledge! Moreover, he is upright in character and conduct, and a virtuous gentleman who does not deceive even in private! I respect his talent and value his character. Today, I have invited him to this banquet. The songs sung by the courtesans could not move the scholar's ears. I know that you were once favored by a nobleman of the Celestial Dynasty, and that the nobleman bestowed upon you two poems, both beautiful in sentiment and literary style, exceptionally vivid. You may sing them at this banquet and persuade the scholar to drink a cup. I will reward you handsomely." Qin Ruolan agreed to the decree, then picked up the clappers and began to sing the poem "Drunken Soul." As soon as the song ended, Li Jing praised it repeatedly, saying, "The melody is elegant and the sentiment is deep; it is truly the work of a talented scholar. Mr. Tao, having heard this song, should offer a large toast to reward him." Then, turning to Qin Ruolan, he said, "Pour a large cup and offer it to the scholar, asking him to drink it all." Qin Ruolan obeyed, having already filled a large cup, and offered it to Tao Gu, saying, "Scholar, please finish this cup!" Tao Gu, having heard Qin Ruolan sing the lyrics he had composed yesterday expressing his longing for Asian, felt both ashamed and anxious, as if sitting on pins and needles, extremely uncomfortable. Seeing her offer him wine again, how could he refuse? He quickly accepted it and drank it all in one gulp. Li Jing laughed and said, "If it weren't for the masterpiece of a nobleman from the Celestial Empire, how could Mr. Tao have drunk so heartily? Qin Ruolan has another poem; please sing it again." Qin Ruolan acknowledged the order and sang the poem "Jintang Chun" that Tao Gu had given to A Xian. Li Jing said, "What a fine line, 'A Xian understands the meaning of longing, spring colors permeate her brows.' This one is even more sensual than the previous one. Scholar, you should drink a few more cups to do justice to the beauty of this poem." Qin Ruolan had already poured three large cups to toast Tao Gu. Tao Gu had a very low alcohol tolerance; how could he drink three large cups? He could only rise and say, "I am honored by Your Majesty's gift of wine, and I should accept it respectfully. However, my capacity is very small; drinking these three cups will surely lead to drunkenness and rudeness. I beg Your Majesty to excuse me from drinking." Li Jing smiled and said, "Sir, today you have heard a fine poem; you should drink to your heart's content with the beauty before you, only then will you be truly satisfied." "If you get drunk, I will simply escort you back to your lodging."
Seeing Li Jing's repeated urging, Tao Gu secretly thought, "I was just afraid he might say something else to humiliate me. Now that he's offering me wine like this, why not accept it and pretend to be drunk, so he won't mock me further?" He then bowed and said, "Your Majesty bestows wine upon me; how could I refuse? But I have acted improperly while drunk; please forgive me!" Having said this, he accepted the wine, drank it down in succession, and slumped onto the table, feigning intoxication. Li Jing said, "Mr. Tao is indeed not a good drinker. Order four guards to escort him properly back to his lodging." "Upon receiving the imperial decree, the guards immediately helped Tao Gu into his sedan chair and escorted him back to the official residence. They helped him to a comfortable bed before returning to report.
Although Tao Gu had drunk too much, he was still lucid. Lying in bed, he reflected on the matter, realizing it was a trap set by the officials of Jiangnan to frame him. He deeply regretted being blinded by lust and falling for their trick. Now that they had the leverage over him, he could only humble himself and endure it for the time being, lest the matter be publicized and the court find out, leaving him with no face to return home. From then on, Tao Gu changed his arrogant and conceited attitude..." Du, having completely packed up his belongings, dared not criticize the shortcomings of the officials in Jiangnan again. He hurriedly finished copying the books and returned to Bianjing. Upon seeing Emperor Taizu, he only said that the ruler and his ministers in Jiangnan were of one mind, and there was no opportunity to exploit. Therefore, Emperor Taizu temporarily shelved the matter of sending troops to Jiangnan. I will leave that aside for now.
Let me mention Li Jing, the ruler of Southern Tang. Since Tao Gu returned to Bianjing, he was deeply afraid that the Song ruler would launch a military campaign against him. Because Song Qiqiu was a wise man, he summoned him to the palace for a secret consultation, saying: "The Song ruler is determined to unify the world. The Jiangnan region is rich and prosperous, and he is especially wary of it. The last time he sent Tao Gu to copy books, it was to secretly probe our country's strengths and weaknesses. This time, upon returning to Bianjing, he will surely report our country's situation to the Song ruler. If the Song ruler is greedy and launches a military campaign southward, it will be difficult to resist. We must plan for military supplies and prepare in advance to avoid being caught off guard at the last minute. You are a wise and insightful man, and you must have a good plan to share my worries." Song Qiqiu said, “Your Majesty need not worry. I observe that Tao Gu is outwardly fierce but inwardly weak. He fell for Han Xizai's honey trap and was humiliated at the banquet, demonstrating that our ruler and ministers are not weak and easily bullied. Furthermore, Your Majesty anticipated the Song emperor's intentions and secretly instructed the court not to divulge any information before Tao Gu's arrival. Therefore, although Tao Gu has been in our country for several months, he has not learned anything. Upon his return to Bian, he met with the Song emperor and reported our situation. Knowing that our people are united and there is no opportunity to exploit, the Song emperor will certainly not dare to launch a military campaign south. Moreover, our country is a vassal of the Song court, and Your Majesty is usually extremely respectful. I predict that the Song emperor will first seize the Southern Han and the Jinghu region, and will not have time to attend to Jiangnan at this time. Even if the Song army comes directly, I am not boasting, but I alone am equivalent to 100,000 troops; the Yangtze River, a natural barrier stretching north and south, is also equivalent to 100,000 men; in addition, we have 100,000 elite soldiers to subdue the enemy.” In total, we have 300,000 elite troops. How could we not resist the Song army? My concern is not about external threats, but about internal troubles.” Li Jing hurriedly asked, “What exactly are these internal troubles you speak of? Please tell me.” Song Qiqiu secretly reported, “The population of Hailing is growing rapidly, and they have been living together for many years. If Your Majesty does not prepare in advance, they may one day rise up under the pretext of revenge, and their power may spread like wildfire, making them difficult to control. Therefore, I am deeply concerned. I hope Your Majesty will take action as soon as possible to prevent them from spreading further, which would be a blessing for the country!” Li Jing nodded repeatedly and said, “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten about it. You should quickly send people to secretly investigate the Hailing clan and find out how many people they currently have. Report this to me, and I will take appropriate action.” "Song Qiqiu, having received Li Jing's order, went off to investigate secretly.
You might ask, what exactly did Song Qiqiu mean by the increasing population of Hailing? Well, when Li Bian usurped Xu Wen's throne, he, being Xu Wen's adopted son and considering the Xu clan his brothers, couldn't bear to harm them, yet fearing they would cause trouble if left in Jinling, relocated the Xu clan to Hailing. By Li Jing's time, the Xu clan had thrived in Hailing for many years, their population greatly increasing." Song Qiqiu, a man of exceptional talent and renowned in his time, upon hearing this news, feared the Xu clan might rise again and was deeply worried. He reported this to Li Jing, instructing him to take precautions to prevent future trouble. Li Jing, upon hearing Song Qiqiu's words, ordered him to send men to Hailing to investigate the Xu clan's exact number of members.
Song Qiqiu, obeying the imperial decree, immediately dispatched his personal guards to Hailing for a secret investigation, instructing them: "This matter is carried out by imperial decree; you must be extremely careful and not miss a single person." The guards obeyed without hesitation and, within a few days, returned with a report: "We have found that the Xu clan, men, women, and children, totals over five hundred members." Having obtained the accurate count, Song Qiqiu immediately went to the palace to report to Li Jing. Li Jing then discussed the matter with Song Qiqiu and decided to send a general with one thousand soldiers directly to Hailing to massacre all members of the Xu clan, leaving no one alive.
The officer, receiving his orders, led a thousand men and galloped swiftly to Hailing. Together with the Hailing prefect, they surrounded the Xu family residence, broke down the gates, and slaughtered everyone they saw, regardless of age or gender. The Xu family was pitiful; no one knew why they had been subjected to such a massacre. Not a single chicken or dog was spared, and corpses littered the ground!
After the slaughter, the Hailing prefect collected the bodies and found dozens of children among them. The prefect was deeply saddened and muttered, "The ruler is far too cruel. What did these children know? Yet they were still indiscriminately killed." He sighed for a while, then ordered the bodies to be collected and buried immediately. To this day, east of the Hailing prefect's residence, there are still dozens of children's graves, all belonging to the Xu family descendants who were killed. The officer, having completed his task, returned to report to Li Jing, who was overjoyed! Thinking that the Xu clan had been wiped out and there would be no future troubles, the emperor greatly appreciated Song Qiqiu's achievements and rewarded him handsomely. Qiqiu thanked the emperor and returned home, carrying many imperial gifts of gold and silk, overjoyed! He stored them away carefully.
Little did he know that revenge would come swiftly. A few days later, Song Qiqiu's youngest son suddenly fell ill, calling out Song Qiqiu's name and cursing, "You old thief, Song Qiqiu!
What have I done to wrong you? Helping Li Qin seize my throne was simply fate! I could do nothing about it. But why have you now instigated Li Jing to kill my descendants, to the point of extermination? You old thief, your evil deeds are not yet finished. I will spare your life for now, but I will take your beloved son first, as retribution." Upon hearing this, Song Qiqiu knew it was the ghost of Xu Wen at work. Terrified, he quickly dressed and kowtowed, pleading, "The slaughter of the eldest prince's descendants was ordered by the king. It has nothing to do with this old minister. I beg for your great mercy, to pardon my sins, and to spare my son's life. I will perform great deeds to help the king escape the netherworld and ascend to heaven." As he spoke, he kowtowed repeatedly. His son, adopting Xu Wen's tone, said, "Old scoundrel! How dare you use flowery words to try and absolve yourself of your guilt? Li Jing had no intention of killing my descendants; it was entirely your instigation. I knew this in the dark long ago, how could I possibly deny it? But Li Jing was misled by treacherous words and wantonly killed innocent people, how could I let him go? I have already prayed to God, his luck has run out, and he will soon face retribution." As he spoke, Song Qiqiu's young son, as if waking from a deep sleep, opened his eyes and groaned.
Song Qiqiu asked him what he had just said, but he had no recollection of it. He only said that a person wearing a golden crown and yellow robe had pushed him, causing him to lose consciousness, and he didn't know what was said. When he awoke, he felt a splitting headache and his limbs felt bound, causing him great discomfort. From then on, Song Qiqiu's youngest son's illness worsened day by day. Doctors sought his help, but to no avail. In desperation, Song Qiqiu prayed to the gods, made vows, and burned incense for several days, but to no avail. He then invited thirty-six monks and thirty-six Taoist priests to his residence to perform a grand Taoist ritual to deliver the wronged souls from suffering. He himself shut himself in, refusing visitors, and stayed by his sick son's side, refusing to leave his side.
Just then, Li Jing, having state affairs to discuss with Song Qiqiu, issued an imperial edict summoning him to court. Qiqiu feigned illness and refused to obey the edict. Seeing that Qi Qiu had disobeyed the imperial edict and failed to appear, Li Jing inquired further and learned that Xu Wen's vengeful spirit was possessing Qi Qiu's young son, seeking revenge for his descendants. Li Jing secretly sighed, "Song Qi Qiu was devoted to the country, devising strategies on my behalf to exterminate the Xu clan and prevent future troubles. Unexpectedly, he incurred the wrath of Xu Wen's spirit, causing his young son to fall ill. I know Qi Qiu loves his youngest son dearly; now, suffering this calamity, it's no wonder he stays indoors, refusing even my summons." Li Jing pondered for a while, feeling great pity for Qi Qiu, and immediately ordered a banquet to be prepared, inviting Qi Qiu to attend and alleviate his distress. However, Song Qi Qiu, whose young son was critically ill, was weeping uncontrollably in his residence; how could he possibly obey the imperial edict? He entrusted the eunuch delivering the edict to inform Li Jing of the truth, begging for forgiveness for disobeying the imperial decree. The eunuch returned to the palace and reported the situation. Li Jing knew that Song Qiqiu's youngest son was beyond saving and felt great sorrow for him. He sighed for a while and then let it go.
At that time, the people of Jinling all knew that Xu Wen had appeared in spirit and that Song Qiqiu's youngest son was on the verge of death. Li Jing summoned Qiqiu to a banquet, but he refused to go because he couldn't bear to part with his son. So people went around talking about it, saying that Song Qiqiu was vicious and cruel, and had instigated the king to kill the Xu family members. He deserved this retribution. This story reached the ears of an old musician, who clapped his hands in delight, saying, "Song Qiqiu, along with the Li family, plotted to seize the Xu family's territory, a heinous crime. Now, he has secretly plotted to slaughter the entire Xu clan, young and old alike. Can't he bear to lose a young child? Let me ridicule him and vent the Xu family's anger." He then wrote a poem, attached it to a kite, and flew it into Song Qiqiu's house. The poem read: "Turning family into country is a truly good plan, all devised by the master; yet he cannot bear to abandon a young child, what would God think?"
Upon seeing the poem, Song Qiqiu knew it was written by a former official of the Xu family, who harbored resentment because he had assisted Li Jing in the extermination of the Xu clan, hence the poem's mockery. Normally, upon seeing such satirical verses, Qiqiu would certainly not let it go, insisting on finding the poet and punishing him before he would be satisfied. Unfortunately, at this time, Xu Wen had just appeared, and his young son was on the verge of death.
Qi Qiu was too preoccupied with repentance to dare pursue the matter further. Upon seeing the poem, he could only sigh, set it aside, and ignore it.
Meanwhile, Emperor Li Jing of Tang, while at court, heard that Xu Wen's mischief had affected Song Qi Qiu's young son, and was greatly alarmed. However, after a few days, he forgot about the incident and resumed his carefree revelry, having completely forgotten about Song Qi Qiu's family affairs. One
day, because the flowers in the garden were in full bloom, Li Jing held a grand banquet, summoning his close ministers to admire the flowers and ordering the musician Yang Huafei to play a water-tune lyric while serving wine. Yang Huafei, however, acted strangely, repeatedly singing only one line from a poem about the Southern Dynasty emperor's penchant for romance. Li Jing initially paid no attention, but upon hearing the single line from the poem "Yang Hua Fei," he suddenly understood. He then raised his cup and sighed, "If the two rulers of Sun and Chen had heard this line, how could they have suffered the humiliation of surrendering with their jade discs in their hands?" He then ordered a eunuch to bring gold and silk and generously rewarded Yang Hua Fei. By this time, Li Jing felt slightly drunk, so he rose and sat down, leading his close ministers to the pond to fish for pleasure. He instructed his ministers to disregard formalities and fish on their own. The ministers obeyed, each taking a fishing rod and casting it into the pond. Li Jing also ordered a eunuch to present his fishing line, and they fished together. After a while, all the ministers had caught fish, except for Li Jing, who sat there. The fish in the pond swam back and forth, following his hook and nibbling incessantly, but refusing to take his bait. This annoyed Li Jing, who forcefully pulled up his rod, but still only caught an empty hook. The fish were frightened and scattered, never to gather again. Seeing that his ministers had all caught fish while he had fished for half a day without catching a single one, Li Jing was quite unhappy! His displeasure was evident on his face. At that moment, the court
jester Li Jiaming, who was serving at the side, saw Li Jing's displeasure at his failure to catch fish, so he presented him with a poem to cheer him up: "The jade-paved pond is filled with the joy of fishing, the spring water in the green pond is warm and melting; ordinary fish dare not swallow the fragrant cake, knowing that it is the king who should fish for dragons."
This poem was presented to Li Jing, who read it and was greatly pleased. Although Li Jiaming was a talented man, he was also intelligent and eloquent, often using humor to satirize current affairs and fill in the gaps in his judgment. Li Jing, because of his skill in offering satirical advice, favored him greatly, always keeping Li Jiaming by his side at banquets and outings, showing no sign of being happy without him. Li Jiaming, grateful for this recognition, readily offered his advice and helped to avert many problems. Li Jing, being very friendly with his brothers, bestowed titles upon them all. Li Jiaming disagreed and devised another method to offer his advice.
How he would do so remains to be seen; let's find out in the next chapter.

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[History of the Song Dynasty Palace] [32] [Author: Xu Muxi]

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